Citation

Liu HT, Liang CC, Rau CS, Hsu SY, Hsieh CH. World J. Emerg. Surg. 2015; 10(1): 2.

Affiliation

Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, No. 123, Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Song District, Kaohsiung City, 833 Taiwan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC)

DOI

10.1186/1749-7922-10-2

PMID

25589900

PMCID

PMC4293814

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of the demographic characteristics of adult motorcycle riders with alcohol-related hospitalizations.

METHODS: Data obtained from the Trauma Registry System were retrospectively reviewed for trauma admissions at a level I trauma center between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013. Out of 16,548 registered patients, detailed information was retrieved regarding 1,430 (8.64%) adult motorcycle riders who underwent a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test. A BAC level of 50 mg/dL was defined as the cut-off value for alcohol intoxication.

RESULTS: In this study, alcohol consumption was more frequently noted among male motorcycle riders, those aged 30-49 years, those who had arrived at the hospital in the evening or during the night, and those who did not wear a helmet. Alcohol consumption was associated with a lower percentage of sustained severe injury (injury severity score ≥25) and lower frequencies of specific body injuries, including cerebral contusion (0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.42-0.80), lung contusion (0.5; 95% CI = 0.24-0.90), lumbar vertebral fracture (0.1; 95% CI = 0.01-0.80), humeral fracture (0.5; 95% CI = 0.27-0.90), and radial fracture (0.6; 95% CI = 0.40-0.89). In addition, alcohol-intoxicated motorcycle riders who wore helmets had significantly lower frequencies of cranial fracture (0.4; 95% CI = 0.29-0.67), epidural hematoma (0.5; 95% CI = 0.29-0.79), subdural hematoma (0.4; 95% CI = 0.28-0.64), subarachnoid hemorrhage (0.5; 95% CI = 0.32-0.72), and cerebral contusion (0.4; 95% CI = 0.25-0.78).

CONCLUSIONS: Motorcycle riders who consumed alcohol presented different characteristics and bodily injury patterns relative to sober patients, suggesting the importance of helmet use to decrease head injuries in alcohol-intoxicated riders.

Language: en